1. This intra - court appeal by the then State of Jammu & Kashmir (now UT of Jammu & Kashmir) and four others is directed against the judgment dated 1.2.2017 passed by the learned single Judge ('the writ court') in OWP No. 192/2004 titled 'Manjeet Kour v. State of J&K'. In terms of the judgment impugned, the respondents herein have been held entitled to a lump sum compensation of Rs. 11,50,000 minus a sum of Rs. 50,000, already granted by way of interim compensation, along with interest at 7.5 per cent to be apportioned among the respondents as per the detail given in the judgment itself.

2. Before we advert to the grounds of challenge urged by the learned counsel for the appellants to assail the judgment impugned, we deem it appropriate to give brief factual background leading to the filing of this appeal.

Predecessor - in - interest of the respondents, namely, Raghuvir Singh got electrocuted on 5.3.2003 at about 5 a.m. when he inadvertently came into contact with live / exposed electric transformer. The incident was reported to the police and F.I.R. No. 23 dated 5.3.2003 came to be registered in Police Station Miran Sahib, Tehsil R.S. Pura. The body of the deceased was subjected to